Getting Robin
by Melira
Summary: Relates to "Without me" by Glimare. Batman's POV, when he finally manages to get Robin back after the Boy Wonder was stuck in an alternate dimension for a whole week. Reading "Without me" first recommended but not necessary. Mainly fluff and DaddyBats.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note:_

 _Hej there, this is my first try on writing in English (I'm German) so please don't be too harsh :-)_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. In fact, I haven't even watched it. I just read lot of FanFics about it because a friend showed me how awesome they are. By now, I love the characters without even knowing their canon-story :-)_

 _Second Disclaimer: I don't own this story either, Glimare does. I just paraphrased a chapter of "Without me"_ ( /s/7685328/1/Without-Me) _by her because I wanted to know how Batman felt when he finally got Robin back. I strongly recommend reading that amazing Fic first. For those of you who don't want to, a short summary: Wally accidentally brings Robin to an alternate universe, in which the League exists, but Richard Grayson died alongside his family. He can't find a way back home so he has to stay there for whole week until Batman manages to get him. In the original story, this part is told in the League's POV. In my version, it's Batman's_.

 _Have fun and enjoy the DaddyBats! :-_ )

Finally. The loud snap hurt his ears although he was prepared and had covered them with his hands. The light was blinding, despite him turning his back on the wicked machine and closing his eyes. But he didn't care. Not as long as it worked and he got the chance to get him back. Robin. His son.

When he felt the violent push from behind and flew forwards, he knew it had worked. Batman cautiously opened his eyes again while getting up from his kneeling position. He took a second to dig in his surroundings. The cave looked oddly familiar to him though felt wrong. It was the same place but not the same vibe. Well, at least this world wasn't too different from his own. A few of the consols around here looked older than the ones back home but that was about it. This should make finding Robin a lot easier than in unknown surroundings.

Standing in front of him were a handful of people. After fully straightening up, he looked at his opponents. Superman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary and Green Lantern, all staring at him, surprised and in fighting stances. It was confusing, seeing them, recognising them and knowing, they were complete strangers. But he didn't have time to ponder over the philosophical question of what „knowing someone" meant. He came here for a reason, he had a mission to fulfill and he wouldn't waste another second.

He glared at them. „I'm only going to ask nicely once. Where is Robin?" He spoke clearly, a dark undertone to his voice. They should get that he wasn't up to any delays or questions. And if he should learn that they didn't treat Robin well, they'd have to pay for it.

Judging from the serious expressions on their faces, they knew about his unbreakable determination and how it was not too clever to stand in his way. There probably was a Batman around here, too. For a moment he wondered what his other self would be like and if he'd meet him. What would it feel like to talk to himself? But then again, this wasn't what he was here for.

The Leaguers stared at him, unmoving. He obviously scared them. Good, maybe that would help his cause. The first one to say anything was Hal Jordan, the Green Latern being a bit daring as usually.

„Wow. DaddyBats appears." He tried to joke, but in a very low voice.

„Don't mess with DaddyBats", Flash agreed, joining the attempt to lighten up the situation a bit. Both of them tried to appear more confident than they really were, Batman could tell. His eyebrows narrowed a bit. Black Canary saw it and tried to get the others silent. „Shut up!"

Superman was the first one to ease his posture. He made a few steps in Batman's direction, palms up in front of him. „First, I'd like some assurance you're really –„

Sometimes, the Boy Scout could be incredibly naïve. Did he really think, Batman would have any patience after looking for his son for a whole week? And he took for granted that the other man knew who he was and who Robin was, otherwise he'd have reacted differently. Apparently, they all knew about him and about what he wanted. They had called him DaddyBats after all. He wondered what Robin had told them and how he had spent the past seven days. Trapped with familiar people he didn't know... And possibly with himself. The thought of two Robins amused him. It must have been hell for every adult around here to endure two of his kind. But these thoughts could wait. He had to prove something now to get to his son soon.

So he stepped towards Clark, reached for his open hand and twisted his arm, using his body weight as a lever until the man lay on the floor, Batman with one of his knees on the hero's back.

„I've just spent the past week waiting for a pair of alien homing devices to get my boy home. Do not make me wait another minute" he said menacingly into the man's ear. He really was losing patience now. Obviously, he had gone too far, the other JL members stiffened and got in their attacking positions once again, but he didn't care.

„I'd advise you to get off him", Manhunter told him, eyes flaring while Green Lantern pointed his Ring at Batman's head. But he didn't let go. He had a small leverage and he was going to use it.

„It's alright, J'onn" Superman said from beneath him, in a calm voice. „I was just making sure this was Robin's Batman."

Robin's Batman. So they really knew. And obviously they cared about the boy, too. He loosened his grip a bit. Seemed like the heros here weren't his enemies so cooperation would be a lot easier than using force.

Now Superman talked to him directly. „If you'll get off me, we'll take you to him."

As if he needed guidance in his own territory. And he didn't want a bunch of capes watching when he got his son back. But he let go nevertheless.

„Not necessary", he said. „Just tell me where he is and I take care of the rest." He was sure, they wouldn't let him just wander off on his own, he was a stranger and a threat after all, but it was worth the try. He stepped back from the Man of Steel who got to his feet again immediately. He checked the room with his eyes, more thorough than before. Apart from the computers it really looked the same as in his world, fascinating! Maybe a bit messier. There were uniforms lying on the floor, one of them Robin's. God, he had missed the sight. He quickly walked over, completely ignoring the people around him and picked up the tunic, hearing the fabric rustle between his fingers. It was a little bit comforting. Now there was only the boy left missing. He tried to get the mixture of relief, hope and impatience off his face. They didn't need to see just how desperate he was.

„It is necessary", Superman objected. „This is our home, not yours. Robin's been our guest here since he appeared. The least you can do is respect our wishes until you go." He had a point there and Batman knew it. He himself wouldn't have acted differently if their roles were reversed. Didn't mean he liked it. His eyes narrowed and he glared at the alien while getting back up, still a firm grip on the tunic. But he had to accept their terms, otherwise he wouldn't get anywhere. „Well?" he asked, trying to hold his anger back.

Obviously, his attempt of being friendly was enough for Superman. The other hero relaxed visibly, along with his companions, and started walking towards the door. „Follow me."

Batman did, gladly. The others followed behind him as he walked out the door, at Superman's heels. With every second it became harder not to just break into a run, calling out for Robin. But he had to behave if he wanted to avoid further problems. He could feel the uneasiness of the Leaguers. Obviously, they didn't know what to make of him. They had their own Batman and assumedly some information from the Boy Wonder about him. Maybe they had imagined him a little less dark and stern. Lighter, more like Robin. Well, they had to wait for that side of him to show.

„We have a few questions for you." That was Hal's voice from behind him.

„I bet", Batman answered. He could very well imagine they had. He would have, too.

„What took you so long to get here?" The slight accusation in the pilot's voice made him angy. As if it had been his fault! And he didn't need someone to remind him how long Robin had been trapped in a foreign universe among strangers. He would have done everything to shorten the time of their separation. But he couldn't. Batman glared at the Lantern from the corner of his eyes, since the man walked beside him and he didn't want to bother turning his head.

„That particular piece of alien technology requiered homing devices for retrieval of items crossing realities. My Hal Jordan was able to procure them, but it took a week for him to make it back to earth. We couldn't risk sending anyone through without one." His tone was cold but he didn't mind. There was no need of being friendly as long as he complied. And besides, Batman was hardly known for being all cuddly.

But Hal didn't let up that easy. „You could have sent a message."

Did he really think, none of Robin's friends would have thought of that? He couldn't help but growl at the man. He forced himself to answer without yelling at the pilot.

„We tried, but the device only works on object weighing at least fifty pounds. Anything less burns on impact."

Now Flasch tuned it. „How much das Robin weigh?" Exactly the same question had been asked at home when they learned about the regulatory mechanism. And he felt some of the relief from back then while answering it again.

„Hundred-ten." He didn't dare thinking about how he would have felt if the limiting value had been higher. He couldn't have guaranteed Wally's survival, let alone his physical health. And he himself… Well, he knew how he had felt during these awful first hours, when they assumed Robin dead. He hadn't managed to finally wrap his head around the fact that his partner was gone forever, so his reactions and feelings had been a bit superficial. If it would have been permanent, if he'd have had more time to let it sink in, the loneliness probably would have overwhelmed him completely. The loneliness and above all the guilt. It would have been his fault. If he hadn't taken the boy in, if he had prevented him from becoming Robin, none of it could have happened. But once the boy learned about his guardians secret identity, there had been no stopping him.

Hearing J'onn's question next seemed like a joke, considering his thoughts mere seconds ago.

„What possessed you to make a child your partner in your war against crime?" the Martian demanded to know, his voice reproachful. Batman turned to the man, his tone speaking of incredulously.

„Have you actually met Robin?"

He could see the surprise in the others eyes. No one had anticipated a nearly humerous answer, least of all the Martian. But the man nodded slowly. Batman sighed, impatient, and shook his head while he kept going. Seemed like they gave his power over the boy more credit than it deserved. If the Boy Wonder once set his mind on something, there was no way of keeping him from doing so. He knew, he had tried several times on several occasions.

„Then he's been on his best behaviour for you", he answered. „There's no stopping the boy, I can only set limits to try to protect him."

„So you tried and failed?" Before he answered, he had to supress a light grin while he remembered what had happened back then.

„He ran off in a leotard and a yellow cape when he was nine." It had looked quite funny! „He's the best acrobat I've ever seen and incredibly bright. Trying to stop him is pointless. You would know if Robin existed here." The last sentence was only a guess, but he was quite sure about it. His observations were proven right, most of the time.

„How do you know he doesn't?" Hal asked, obviously surprised at the unexpected knowledge.

„You wouldn't be asking pointless questions if he did." They had proceeded further through the hallway and Batman got an idea of where they were heading. He looked at Superman who still had the lead. „The gym?"

The alien's mouth twitched slightly while he tried not to smirk. „Sounds like it."

Sounds like it? So they had wandered around only on a guess?

„You didn't know?" the annoyance in his voice was clear as day.

Black Canary answered while they got around the last corner and walked up to the door leading to the gym. She had been surprisingly quiet until now. „We knew. We just wanted to be sure you were the right guy. Robin's been here with our Batman for the past couple hours training. He's been getting so lonely without you, we were talking about his future here."

Hearing this hurt. It hurt a lot but he didn't let it show. He didn't want to think about Robin being alone here anymore, he had spent the past week with barely anything else on his mind. This had to stop and it would now.

„There isn't going to be one" he growled, and pushed the door in front of them open. „He's coming home, now."

 _A/N: So, I hope you liked the first part! Won't be long until I post the next chapter. If there are any major mistakes in language, feel free to tell me about them so I can correct them._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Still not mine. Neither Young Justice nor the plot._

 _Alright, here we go again, second chapter in which Batman finally gets to meet Robin. Definitely more fluff than in the first one. Enjoy :-)_

There were two people in the room, immediately stopping their fight at the sound of the almost violently opened door. They turned on the spot to face the incomers. Batman felt relief washing over him, it nearly made his knees give way. God, how he had missed the boy. And there he stood, seemingly unharmed, eyes wide open. He could see the smile on the boy's face vanish as it was replaced by hope, mixed with disbelief. Batman felt like he had never been so happy to see someone. Beside him, looking at Robin and with a stiff posture, Batman saw himself. He had never imagined how weird it would be to meet himself. He could see now, why everyone thought him so intimidating. Dark clothing, broad shoulders and a constant glare in his eyes. If he were someone else, he would be careful around that man, too.

Batman locked his eyes with Robin's and took a few steps into the room until he reached the mats the others were training on. There he stopped dead, still looking at his partner and not moving a muscle. He could feel the Leaguers stay behind, they obviously tried to give them space but didn't want to leave them completely. Inquisitive heroes!

He tried hard not to show his emotions, he didn't want all of them to know how sentimental Batman could be. And he searched for words. What do you say after your ward was sent to another universe and it took you a week to rescue him? Hello? I'm sorry? How are you? Good to see you? All of it seemed wrong. Shallow. And Robin didn't react either, he just stared back, his face still full of hope. Usually the boy never stopped talking, sometimes the constant chatter even was annoying. Especially his puns. Batman knew of nobody as creative with words as the Boy Wonder. How often had he come up with a ridiculous neologism he insisted on using permanently from then on. A few times he actually used existing words for a new meaning, saying it was only logical. The first one of these words would forever stick in Batman's memory, he had laughed at it a lot when he first heard it.

„Define aster." This made the boy smile again, widely.

„Opposite of disaster."

„Nope, it's a daisy" Batman continued the game. He could hear his own joy in his voice, although it surley wasn't as obvious to the others, except Robin and the second Batman. „And dangerful is not a word."

Now Robin laughed openly. „Oh yeah, I'm so whelmed at that conclusion." The man couldn't contain a smile any longer. It felt so good joking with the boy again! The change in his expression seemed to trigger something because all of a sudden his ward broke into a run towards him. He nearly overthrow his mentor when he glomped him. Batman closed his arms around the boy, his cape completely consuming the small figure. He felt a bit like he was falling, losing control over his emotions and appearance. He was glad the others couldn't see his face which he had buried in the boy's dark hair. He could feel and hear Robin cry against his chest. It made him hug the boy even tighter. They had missed each other more than anyone would have imagined and being back together gave them more comfort than anything else ever could.

They held onto each other for nearly a minute, neither wanting to let go. There was this irrational fear Robin could disappear again if they lost touch.

„I hear you've behaved for once." At this, the boy took half a step back but still kept touch. He laughed.

„You could say that."

„Any injuries?" Batman took another look at his ward, more thorough than before. He still couldn't see any major wounds. No bandages and the boy held himself upright. Good. He calmed down a little.

„A few bruises from some tussles, nothing bad." He lifted a hand to wipe the remaining tears from his face. „Well, one shoulder's not looking so hot but what can you do. You?"

Now he felt the boy's eyes on him, performing the same search his had before.

„Bruises, cracked knuckles, cracked rib, knife wound." Nothing too unusual…

„Joker?"

Batman nodded. „Team helped take him and Scarecrow down while you were away. I see they aren't here." He had noticed this before, of course, but had pushed it from his thoughts since there had been more pressing matters, such as getting his ward back. Was it a coincidence because they were on a mission? Or did this world lack young heroes in general?

„The team doesn't exist here," Robin confirmed his theory. „You wouldn't believe the differences here! Here Roy became a bad guy! Artemis was with her dad, too! Zatanna and I kinda snuck out earlier to fight Sportsmaster, Cheshire and them." Batman could hear the growing excitement in the boy's voice, mixed with pride. „Oh and Mister Twister, too! They were after some secret government gizmo. Didn't find out what though `cause I was getting Roy to rehab. I mean, Artie's still a minor so they'll go easier on her, right? She being under coercion and all that jazz." The speed this boy could talk at would make the Flashes proud.

„They will," Batman assured him. Robin still had a grip on his cape while his mentor's hands rested on his shoulders. Beside the fact that it calmed himself, he knew how much Robin worked on physical contact. As much as the boy reacted to the right words, they would never replace the effect of a simple touch. Whenever he was scared or sad, nothing could sooth him like a hug. Which had been a bit difficult when Batman first took the boy in, for one, because he himself never had been much of a hugger and further because the boy barely let the man touch him back then. Amazing, how much things had changed over the past few years. By now, Batman needed physical contact to his ward nearly as much as the boy did to feel assured that everything was alright.

His thoughts were interrupted when Robin continued telling his story.

„That's great! Oh and Wally doesn't have superspeed here either. M'gann hasn't left Mars yet, and you know how we found Conner. They haven't looked very far into Cadmus here. I haven't the slightet clue what's going on with Kaldur. They haven't told me. Zee's the only one I've been able to see." Wait, that was a name he didn't know.

„Zee?"

„Zatanna." Well, could have thought of that. „We hung out for a couple days, then I kind of blew it for her when we hacked the systems to go off and fight bad guys."

Yes, this sounded like Robin. Not listening to reason or any adult, just hack something and do what he thought was right. The League here certainly had had a good time looking after the boy. And they failed, he had managed to run off to fight villains too strong for him.

„Sportsmaster and Cheshire."

„Yep!" It was almost comical how proud the boy was of himself.

Just to make sure. „You fought them on your own?" Batman couldn't deny he was impressed.

„Mostly. Zee managed to tangle Cheshire up before she could skewer me, so I can't take much credit with her. But I definitely beat Artemis on my own. Roy kinda ganged up on me before I could do the finishing touches on Sportsmaster. Mister Twister was a lot easier the second time around." With every word the pride on Robin's face became more evident. And Batman had to acknowledge that it indeed it was quite an achievement.

„They usually are. You can give me the full report when we get home." At this, he took his left hand from the boy's shoulder and let his right slide down his back. He turned on the spot so both of them faced the door where the other Leaguers still waited, watching the reunion. Black Canary actually had red eyes and even the men looked slightly shaken. Before walking towards them, Batman reached down and picked up Robin's uniform which he had dropped when the boy hugged him. His ward laughed.

„Ten-four. What did Wally shoot me with anyway? Some kind of alien banishment thing like Superman's phantom zone projector?" The question made the man feel slightly awkward. If only the whole thing hadn't been so ridiculous!

„Almost", he had to admit. He looked away while he handed Robin his uniform. „It was a Volvion storage transporter." Such a stupid thing that had caused all this drama!

He could see the boy looking at him incredulously, same as everyone else in the room.

„You're kidding, right?" If only…

„Wish I were", Batman answered. He started feeling a little tired. Switching realities after a week of sleep deprivation really took something from you. But the conclusion was so near! Just a little more adrenaline. He rubbed his eyes, trying to stay on alert.

„Apparently they're a bunch of packrats who wanted more space" he continued his explanation. „Someone made interdimensional technology to find a dead version of their planet to use it for extra storage. Homing beacons are placed on crates sent to their alternate world so they can get them back."

„That's why you didn't come running after me the first day." The boy was quick. „You didn't have the homing beacons." Somehow, he sounded reassured. A bit like he had feared it was by choice that his mentor had waited so long before coming for his rescue. Batman intensified his touch on the boy's back to sign him, this feeling wasn't true.

„And they're one time uses. It took Jordan all week to get them to Earth, and I had Steward and Gardner back him up to make sure it didn't take more than a week. They aren't easy to come by, at least not out here."

His ward groaned. „Great. Count on Wally to blast me to another world with only half the instruction manual. I'm so going to slug him later."

Batman smiled slightly. „You won't be the first." Indeed, he wouldn't. Everybody had picked at the speedster for the past seven days. If it weren't for a good reason, Batman would have pitied the boy.

„Oh, I can imagine", Robin answered, grabbing his forehead and trying not to laugh. „Considering that me being dead here made the world way too kooky for my tastes, I can just see everyone betting on his case for making me go away."

„You're dead here?" Batman couldn't help but sound highly alarmed. No Robin in this world was one thing but a dead Richard Grayson… He didn't even want to imagine it. Of course, the people here didn't know what they were missing, but he knew. It really wasn't a nice thought.

„Apparently", the boy nodded. „And no Robin means no child heroes in general." That explained J'onn's reproachful manner. He wasn't used to the idea of sidekicks at all. The differences between his world and this one were bigger than he had thought at first.

„Hm… Well, you did break the mold." Come to think of it, the whole Team only existed because of Rohin. Batman making the boy his partner had triggered some kind of chain reaction which concluded in the Team. And he knew, his boy was the center of it, always had been. Which had become evident when he was gone. The other youngsters had given their best to continue their work but you could see, they missed the person they all used to circle around. And not only the kids. Half Batman's life had seemed to have dissappeared alongside the boy, too.

He was silent for a moment. Before they finally reached the Leaguers waiting at the door, he couldn't contain himself any longer. So low, probably only Superman could hear him, he told Robin.

„We thought you were dead for a few hours." The memory hurt and saying it out loud brought it back with more force than Batman had imagined.

He could see Robin turning towards him, trying to get a look at his face. „Dead? Me?" He sounded shocked and slightly incredulous.

His guardian nodded. The grief from back then filled his heart once again. „Worst three and a half hours of our lives." Especially of his own. He could very well remember how stranded he had felt, utterly powerless.

The boy kept his eyes on him for a few moments longer, then moved closer and tightened his grip on his mentor's cape. He tried to comfort the man by his touch.

„I'm not going to leave you like that." Batman just rubbed the boy's back, he couldn't think of anything to say. Having him near again was enough for the moment.

 _A/N: Hope you liked it. Major mistakes in language? Tell me about them._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Still not mine. Neither._

 _Have fun reading! :-)_

They got to the door eventually and he wiped all emotions from his face, slightly glaring at the heroes.

„Robin needs to change before we go. Where is the rest of his uniform?"

„My mask's in my room", the boy answered, Dinah adding: „The rest is in mine." She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. „Flash, could you…" Before she even finished the sentence, the speedster was gone. Mere seconds later he was back.

„Here they are", he said, with gloves and boots in hands while the belt hung over his shoulder. His smile towards Robin seemed to be a bit sad. Apparently he would miss him once the Boy Wonder was gone again. „- get them for … Oh, forget it."

The boy grinned at him, then let go off Batman and took his clothing back. The man felt like he was missing the punchline. „Thanks, Flash. Thanks for helping me out so much here, too. You've been a real lifesaver."

Barry grinned back at him. „Any time, kid. You really helped me out with Wally and Rudi."

„Are things really bad for him here?" Batman looked up in curiosity at the anxious tone in the boy's voice. He was reminded once again of how many things he didn't know about this world. He really didn't like the feeling.

Flash shook his head. „Panicking over nothing. Rudolph isn't really around much. You were right about the fighting, but Mary can give as much as she can take. I've gotten Wally to open up a little more about it. Apparently there's these guys at school giving him a rough time, too. That's where he got the bruises I saw before." Seemed like they had suspected, Barry's nephew was beaten at home. Things really were different here, he couldn't stop noticing all over again.

„That's good." Robin smiled. „Not the bullying but it's good to know his dad's not hurting him."

„I'll say", Flash nodded. „Dunno what I'd do if he was."

Finally, they started walking again. Batman slowly got impatient, he wanted all this to be over for good. Robin led the way to the room he had been using while stuck here. He looked up at Black Canary who was right beside him. „You'll still look after Roy, right?"

She smiled. „Of course. I plan on making sure he walks on the straight and narrow from now on."

This made the boy laugh. „He's going to love that."

Now Superman jokingly piped up. „He better, with all the trouble you gave us over him." Trouble? Didn't he remember something being said about Robin being a good boy? Batman curiously looked at the hero, then down at his ward. The boy made eye contact and shrugged.

„Not exactly best behaviour."

„I'll say." This time, Hal answered. „You should have seen the kitchen yesterday." Oh no, this certainly didn't sound too good. Batman knew what the boy was capable of when not under constant supervision.

Robin smirked. „Your fault leaving the paint there." Good god, what had he done this time?

„Paint?" he asked in shock. But he wasn't the only one. In the same instant, his own voice came from behind them. The other Batman had followed them without anybody noticing and caught them by surprise with his sudden question. This was confusing! The other Leaguers around him seemed to be utterly overwhelmed. He had to admit, the looks on their faces were kind of funny.

The first ones to calm down again were Hal and Flash, both snickering. „Yeah, paint. He and Marvel redecorated the kitchen and entertainment center. Even got the ceiling." Marvel? They had left the boy with Marvel? Were they insane to let a 10 year old babysit a hyperactive teenager who loved nothing more than pulling pranks on unsuspecting people? This was suicide!

„You're kidding me." Superman sounded partly amused, partly like he tried to be angry. He failed at it. But Batman didn't. He gave Robin a scolding look.

„Paint. You little …"

„That's what they get when they leave me alone with Marvel and a lot of sugar." Sugar, too? He didn't even want to imagine how the rooms had looked like after the boys were finished with them. If there was one thing you shouldn't do, it was giving Robin sugar.

The boy tried to be cute, smiling at him and batting his eyelashes. Batman couldn't resist but sigh and ruffle his ward's hair, although the boy laughed and playfully tried to escape that sign of affection.

„Remind me never to leave you alone with him again." As if he ever would, but saying it out loud couldn't hurt.

„Like I'll ever get the chance." Right he was! With that, they stopped in front of an unobtrusive door. „This is the one." Batman didn't recognize the door, but he knew what was behind it. Apparently the League here was even more paranoid than the one he was used to.

The boy looked at his mentor. „I don't remember this room in the mountain back home. Does it …"

„No, we were forced to abandon the cave before we could finish adding the rooms we wanted to. This was where we were planning a temporary holding cell." This had the expected effect on the boy.

„Holding cell." Robin looked at Superman, slightly amused. „Really."

Batman's impatience grew with every passing minute. He wanted to be ready when the Team and his League started the retrieving attempt.

„Uh huh. Go get changed" he ordered. There was a piece of paper pinned at the wall, next to the door. A riddle was written on it in Robin's writing. He smiled as he recognized it and typed the solution, ‚9', on the keypad next to it. The door immediately opended with a soft clicking noise. Batman took a quick look in as the boy strode past him. Usual furniture, a camera and a hole in the wall. First two were standard, latter not so much. Probably Robin had ripped out the electronic device for opening and closing the door from the outside. Assumedly he had wanted to be left alone at some point. He couldn't hold it against him.

„Copy that. Be out in ten." This seemed rather long, usually the boy was faster.

„Ten?" Batman asked.

„Need to write a few notes real fast, too. Not everyone who's met me is here." He couldn't deny the boy saying goodbye, not even when they ran out of time. After all, he'd never see any of the guys here ever again. Batman nodded slowly, but warned the boy nevertheless.

„Don't doddle and start jumping on the bed. I gave the others very strict instructions for retrieval."

„Roger", the boy confirmed before vanishing behind the door which he closed by shorting the circuits once again.

Batman turned around, leaned against the doorframe and faced the others. They looked at him, unsure what to do. But he didn't care, it was time to talk.

„You left him alone with Captain Marvel?" Honestly, they had to know this couldn't be a good idea.

„Correction", the other Batman said, „they left him alone with him. I was busy." So, this probabaly meant his second self was the only one in this world knowing about the real identity of the red hero.

„What's wrong with leaving him with Marvel?" Superman's question confirmed his suspicions. Before he could tell him what the problem was, Flash piped in. „He doesn't respond well to sugar." Oh, really? Good observation! Well, time to reveal the secret.

„He's ten." Probabaly not the most eloquent way to tell them but he had too little patience left to think of something better. The Leaguers gaped at him in disbelief for a few seconds, before turning their heads to their own Batman. The other man nodded in affirmation.

„The only reason we left him in charge of the team for a while was because no one else knew the truth", Batman explained. „They all believed he was a responsible adult and so they acted accordingly. He's a good kid, but serously, no one gives Robin sugar, and no one should leave the two of them alone with a candy bowl." Batman shook his head, frustrated. „Seriously, it's worse than leaving him with Oliver and Rob in Star overnight." This was a mistake he was never going to make again. The aftermath of that particular event had been extraordinary.

Hal was curious. „What happens then?"

„Oliver takes the night off." His frustratiom had to be obvious to the others. Sometimes his ward really was difficult to handle!

„You have a good kid there." Superman actually tried to defend Robin in front of the boy's second father.

„Most of the time." Batman knew he did and he wouldn't want to miss the boy for the world, but nevertheless there had been some incidents which didn't cast a good light on Robin. Sometimes his pranks were quite extreme. In fact, the Leaguers here were lucky they only ended up with freshly painted walls.

„You're lucky to have him." Batman turned at the sound of his own voice, surprised. His other self stood behind Black Canary, looking directly at him. Superman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Flash and the woman were on alert, trying to assess the mood of the two men before them. Finally, Superman spoke.

„Um, we'll just wait for the two of you in the main hall. Everyone?" he looked explicitly at Hal who didn't seem to get the situation. At the command, the five of them turned around and walked down the hallway again.

 _A/N: Same game again. Text me if you find mistakes._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Not mine..._

 _So, last part. No action or suspense in this Fic, I know. It is just a paraphrased part of a whole story after all... Hope you enjoyed it anyways. If so, leave a comment :-)_

The other Batman took a few steps until he reached the wall opposite of the door and leaned against it. The two men stared at each other, trying to figure out what to make of the other one. This was a highly peculiar situation. It was silent for several minutes. They knew, they ran out of time, but neither had an idea what to say. Eventually, the other one spoke first.

„I never really thought of having a partner before." He sounded lost in thought. Probably thinking about the possibilities this whole affair made him see.

„Neither did I." Really, Batman hadn't ever thought about it. The boy had made himself his sidekick without asking for permission.

„Or raising a kid, alone." Understandable. He wouldn't ever have spent a thought about it himself if this night at the circus hadn't happened. Watching the boy endure the same ordeal he had gone through so many years ago just made clear what he had to do. And he hadn't been alone, not even for one second.

„Alfred helps a lot." Without the faithful butler, everything would have been infinitely more complicated. Batman looked at the door, waiting for the boy in question to return. „And despite his childish tendencies, he's an easy going kid."

„Childish tendencies?" The other one actually sounded a bit surprised. How had he managed not to notice in a whole week? Batman smiled lightly, fondly thinking of his ward.

„Let's just say, painting the kitchen while on a sugar high is one of his nicer pranks. The list of damages around the manor is more than I thought it'd be when I took him in." It really was. How many vases were broken by now? He had lost count long ago. And not to mention what the poor T-Rex in the Batcave had had to endure over the years…

„Sounds hard."

„Daredevil acrobat", he explained. What else to expect from a circus kid raised to flip over everything getting in his way rather than just walk around it? „A plus and a minus in this business. But he does what he can to make up for his mistakes." Filling in gaps in his otherwise lonely life he didn't know he had before he took the boy in, for example.

„Is it worth it?" The other one asked nearly desperate. His mind seemed to be filled with thoughts of what could have been and what still could happen.

„Every second." Oh yes, it was. Just thinking of the awful silence that had filled Wayne Manor for the past seven days made Batman shiver.

„You're a very lucky man to have him."

„I know."

„I was thinking of taking him in myself since we couldn't find a way to send him back to you. I might still take him home." There was a joking undertone to the other man's voice. Apparently, he started feeling a little bit more comfortable around his counterpart.

„Get your own Robin." Batman's response was as playful as the implied question. But by now, time really was running out, they had only a few minutes left to get back to the point they landed on. He turned to the door and knocked.

„It's been ten minutes." It slid open. Robin walked out, grinning and in full uniform. He held two notes, one adressed to Zatanna, one to Captain Marvel.

„All set! Just need to make sure these letters go out."

The other Batman reached for the paper. „I'll take care of them." Robin stared at him, apparently taken by surprise. He handed the letters over and started glancing from one man to the other.

„This is just too weird", he said, gesturing towards them. Batman raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking for an explanation. He could see the other one doing exactly the same. It was confusing!

Robin grinned slightly at the similarity. „Same guy, and not the same guy. It's just …" he shook his head „weird. Welcome to the Twilight Zone."

Both Batmen made a grunting noise, which made the boy grin even more. While the other man took a second look at the letters, the mentor pulled out the homing devices he had brought for the kid and himself. He pinned one onto Robins uniform, carefully securing it. He wouldn't take any risk for this mission to fail.

„Make sure this stays on you until we're back home." Robin looked down at the thing before smiling at the man again.

„Ten-four. Got one for yourself too I see." Batman grunted. Of course he had.

He checked the boy's beacon again and then attached the second device to his own chest. He heard Robin chuckle.

When he was finished, his ward adressed the other man. His look was a bit hesitant, he seemed to be unsure about what to say. After a few seconds he decided.

„Um, thanks for today. I had a lot of fun." Hearing this somehow hurt Batman. Not much, and he instantly felt guilty about it but he couldn't help it. He knew it was childish but he didn't want Robin get attached to his second self. It made him feel as if the boy replaced him. Which of course he'd never do, but… Well, feelings weren't logical. He had his reasons for usually staying away from them. But as soon as it came to his ward, he lost all power over his usually so controlled emotions.

Through his musings, he could hear the other Batman answer. „Take care, Dick." The man had offered his hand to the boy, who smiled, nodded and took it, shaking it firmly. „Will do." He looked at his mentor again. „Shall we go?"

„Any other goodbyes you wish to do before we leave?"

„Well, they aren't here…" Robin stated, looking around.

„The rest are waiting in the main hall, where I bet that Boy Scout left my uniform", the other man said.

„Yep." Batman heard the boy giggle at his short comment. The three of them started to walk down the corridor, back in the direction they had originally come from.

When they entered the room, Dinah was the first one to say goodbye to Robin. She hugged him tight. „Now don't let the world get you down, got it?"

This made the boy laugh. „You think I'd let that happen? Been doing this for nearly five years. If you think the flack I'm getting now is bad, imagine back when I started." Now both of them laughed.

Robin let go off her and turned to Hal. The Lantern ruffled the boy's hair. „You keep your DaddyBats in line now, ya hear? Don't let him go killing your Green Lanterns."

Batman made an indistinct, disapproving noise. Well, if he would go, the Lanterns would have had it coming! Robin chuckled, trying not to laugh.

„He won't . That was a one time affair, Hal. He doesn't hate you that much."

„That much?" the Lantern sounded slightly alarmed, which made the boy laugh again.

Then he turned to the Martian. At him, he looked more carefully than at the other Leaguers, even hesitated before adressing him. Seemed like they had had an argument before. Considering how J'onn had attacked Batman about having a sidekick, the alien had probably tried to lecture Robin about giving up his secret identity. Never a good idea, Batman could tell from his own experience.

Finally, the boy spoke. „Try to find M'gann, okay? She's really a sweet girl."

Manhunter looked down at him. „I will do what I can to meet her." He smiled at Robin. „I believe I must take back what I said before. You are doing exactly what you should be."

At this, the boy visibly relaxed. So this really had been their point of argument. Robin hugged the alien tight and smiled at him, obviously grateful for what he had said.

Next was Flash,. The hero grinned and extended his fist so the sidekick could bump it with his own.

„Take care of yourself, kid."

„You too, Flash. And don't forget your wife and Wally while you're at it." It was amazing how easily the boy had made everybody like and trust him.

„I won't", Barry answered, laughing.

Last, Robin turned to Superman. Clark smiled but seemed to be deep in thoughts before he got a grip on himself. „Well, I guess this is it."

„Guess so", the smile on Robin's face was the broadest and most honest so far. Apparently, the reporter was his favourite of the other Leaguers in this world as well. „You're going after Superboy once I'm gone, right?" The next one he tried to influence into being a good mentor. Incredible.

„That's the general plan." General plan? That was not enough. Batman knew how much Conner suffered back home because Superman was overchallenged by his existence and therefore tried to avoid the boy as much as possible. Not here, too!

„Good", he interjected, „make sure you take care of him and be a father to him this time."

The Man of Steel looked at him, surprised. „I take it, your Superman isn't doing a good job." Batman gave him one of his kinder glares, it wasn't aimed at him but to his second self in another dimension.

„You'll get the hang of it", Robin assured him, smiling again. He hugged the man before speaking again. „Thanks for always trying, Clark. For being there and believing for me."

Superman wrapped his arms around the boy. „You're very welcome. And thank you for showing us another way to live. I think we almost forgot that anyone could be a hero."

Laughing, Robin let go off the Boy Scout. He still had a broad grin on his face. „Anyone and anything. But it's easier to be a hero than to be a family. Think you can manage that?"

Superman lifted his gaze so he could watch the two Batmen, one still waiting for his ward and the other one taking his uniform from the ground. His mind seemed to process all the differences between them. Finally, he looked at the boy again.

„I think I can try. Take care, sport." He ruffled Robin's hair affectionately, then let him go.

Batman felt some relief washing over him, as his partner walked over to him. The boy looked as if he was going to hug his mentor again, but they really were running out of time. Mere seconds were left, before the thirty minutes were over, so Batman just put his hand on Robin's head and bent down to press the button on the homing device pinned to the boy's chest.

„Plug your ears, close your eyes and brace yourself. This isn't an easy trip", he advised before activating his own beacon.

Robin followed his orders instantly. „I remember last time. How long is it going to take?"

„A few seconds." Batman adjusted his own position, bending his knees. Robin copied his motions.

Suddenly there was the loud cracking noise again, accompanied by the blinding flash of light.

Finally, he had managed it. He got Robin and he could take him with him.

Home.

 _A/N: Great, you reached the end of my first Fic. Thank you for reading it!_

 _The lesson I learned by this is how much it sucks to operate this website with a tablet. Really should use computer next time!_


End file.
